Skiing simulating exercise machine

ABSTRACT

A skiing simulating exercise machine includes a pair of handles attached to a base support for supporting an upper portion of a user, a cushioning member disposed on the base support, and a platform mounted on the cushioning member for supporting the user thereon and for simulating a skiing operation, the cushioning member includes a chamber for forming a tubular element and for increasing a resilience of the cushioning member, the cushioning member includes an outer peripheral recess for increasing a resilience of the cushioning member and for allowing the cushioning member to be suitably deformed or twisted or squeezed or depressed or compressed by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a skiing simulating and rehabilitationexercise machine, and more particularly to a skiing simulating andrehabilitation exercise machine including a simplified structure forsuitably simulating the skiing operations or exercises and for reducingthe manufacturing procedures and the manufacturing cost for the skiingsimulating and rehabilitation exercise machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machines comprisea pair of handles supported on top of a base support, a pair of channelsor tracks or rails supported on the lower portion of the base support,and a pair of foot supports or foot pedals slidably engaged with thetracks or rails for being actuated or operated by the user to slidealong the tracks or rails and to simulate the skiing operations orexercises.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,194 to Haaheim, U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,152to Lo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,264 to Gordon, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,533 toFeuer et al. disclose several of the typical skiing simulating andrehabilitation exercise machines each also comprising a pair of footsupports or foot pedals slidably engaged with the tracks or rails forbeing actuated or operated by the user to slide along the tracks orrails and to simulate the skiing operations or exercises.

However, the sliding engagement of the foot supports or foot pedals withthe tracks or rails may include a complicated structure that may not beeasily and quickly manufactured and assembled by the workers. Inaddition, the foot supports or foot pedals are slidably engaged with thetracks or rails, but may not be moved up and down relative to the tracksor rails and the lower base support. However, in the actual skiingoperations or exercises, the foot supports or foot pedals may move upand down along or relative to the uneven or convex or concave ground.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,033 to Palmer discloses another typical skiingsimulating and rehabilitation exercise machine comprising a pair of footsupports or foot pedals to be actuated or operated or stepped up anddown by the user to simulate the skiing operations or exercises.

However, the attachment or the engagement of the foot supports or footpedals with the lower base support also may include a complicatedstructure that may not be easily and quickly manufactured and assembledby the workers.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional skiing simulating andrehabilitation exercise machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a skiingsimulating and rehabilitation exercise machine including a simplifiedstructure for suitably simulating the skiing operations or exercises andfor reducing the manufacturing procedures and the manufacturing cost forthe skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machine.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided askiing simulating exercise machine comprising a base support, a pair ofhandles attached to the base support for supporting an upper portion ofa user, a cushioning member disposed on the base support, and a platformmounted on the cushioning member for supporting the user thereon and forsimulating a skiing operation.

The cushioning member includes a chamber formed therein for forming atubular element and for increasing a resilience of the cushioningmember.

The cushioning member includes an outer peripheral recess formed thereinfor increasing a resilience of the cushioning member and for allowingthe cushioning member to be suitably deformed or twisted or squeezed ordepressed or compressed by the user.

The platform includes an outer peripheral portion located and extendedout of the cushioning member for allowing the cushioning member to besuitably deformed or twisted or squeezed or depressed or compressed bythe user.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skiing simulating and rehabilitationexercise machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the skiing simulating and rehabilitationexercise machine, similar to FIG. 1, in which a portion of the exercisemachine has been cut off or removed for showing the inner structure ofthe exercise machine;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of the skiing simulating andrehabilitation exercise machine;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the skiing simulating andrehabilitation exercise machine, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 are perspective views similar to FIG. 1, illustrating theoperation of the skiing simulating exercise machine; and

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 are plan schematic views illustrating the operation ofthe skiing simulating exercise machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a skiingsimulating and rehabilitation exercise machine in accordance with thepresent invention comprises a lower base support 10 for being stablysupported on the ground or the other supporting surfaces, the basesupport 10 includes a pair of journals or hinges or pivot joints 11 forpivotally or rotatably attaching or mounting or securing a pair ofhandles 20 respectively and for supporting the upper portion of the user8. The handles 20 may include a retractable or telescopic structure forengaging with or for supporting the users 8 of different heights orsizes or dimensions, and the retractable or telescopic structure of thehandle 20 is not related to the present invention and will not bedescribed in further details.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercisemachine further includes a soft or resilient or cushioning rubber member30 disposed or attached or mounted or secured onto the base support 10with latches, fasteners (not shown) or the like. The cushioning member30 includes a chamber 31, such as a cylindrical chamber 31 formedtherein for forming or defining a peripheral or cylindrical or tubularelement 32 and for increasing the softness or the resilience of thecushioning member 30 and for allowing the cushioning member 30 to besuitably deformed or twisted or squeezed or depressed or compressed,best shown in FIGS. 7-10. It is preferable that the cushioning member 30further includes an outer peripheral groove or depression or recess 33formed therein for further increasing the softness or the resilience ofthe cushioning member 30 and for allowing the cushioning member 30further to be suitably deformed or twisted or squeezed or depressed orcompressed.

The skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machine furtherincludes a foot support or platform 50 disposed or attached or mountedor secured onto the cushioning member 30 with latches, fasteners (notshown) or the like for supporting the user 8 thereon, in which theplatform 50 includes a size or area or dimension greater than that ofthe cushioning member 30 for allowing the outer peripheral portion 51 ofthe platform 50 to be located or extended out of the cushioning member30 and for allowing the outer peripheral portion 51 of the platform 50to be easily depressed or compressed by the user 8, in addition, thecushioning member 30 itself that is made of soft or resilient orcushioning or rubber materials may also be deformed or twisted orsqueezed or depressed or compressed for allowing the user 8 to suitablysimulate the skiing operations or exercises (FIGS. 5-10).

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 5-10, the user 8 may grasp or hold thehandle 20, and may squeeze or depress or compress the cushioning member30, and may also twist or squeeze or depress or compress or deform thecushioning member 30 with the platform 50 in order to suitably simulatethe skiing operations or exercises. It is to be noted that the user 8may step the central portion and/or the outer peripheral portion 51 ofthe platform 50 to suitably simulate the skiing operations or exercises,and the user 8 is not required to be moved away from the platform 50such that the skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machine isalso good for rehabilitation operations or exercises. In addition, theskiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machine includes asimplified structure that may be easily and quickly manufactured andassembled by the workers and that may be manufactured and assembled withthe manufacturing procedures and the manufacturing cost.

Accordingly, the skiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machinein accordance with the present invention includes a simplified structurefor suitably simulating the skiing operations or exercises and forreducing the manufacturing procedures and the manufacturing cost for theskiing simulating and rehabilitation exercise machine.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A skiing simulating exercise machine comprising: a base support, apair of handles attached to said base support for supporting an upperportion of a user, a cushioning member disposed on said base support,and a platform mounted on the cushioning member for supporting the userthereon and for simulating a skiing operation.
 2. The skiing simulatingexercise machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cushioning memberincludes a chamber formed therein for forming a tubular element and forincreasing a resilience of said cushioning member.
 3. The skiingsimulating exercise machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcushioning member includes an outer peripheral recess formed therein forincreasing a resilience of said cushioning member.
 4. The skiingsimulating exercise machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platformincludes an outer peripheral portion located and extended out of saidcushioning member.